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Software Freedom Day is an annual observance that falls on September 16 this year. The day’s celebration aims to increase awareness about Free Software and its virtues, thus encouraging its use.
“To be able to choose between proprietary software packages is to be able to choose your master. Freedom means not having a master. And in the area of computing, freedom means not using proprietary software.” – Richard M. Stallman
History of Software Freedom Day
Software Freedom Day (SFD) was first celebrated on 28 August 2004. About 12 teams participated in the first Software Freedom Day. Since then, it has grown in popularity. The day has been held on the third Saturday of September since 2006. SFD is a worldwide annual celebration of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). The goal of the observance of this day is to educate the public globally about the advantages of using high-quality FOSS in the areas of education, in government, at home, and in business. SFD is a public education effort with the aim of increasing awareness of Free Software and its virtues and encouraging its use.
Software Freedom International, a non-profit organization, coordinates the SFD at a global level. They provide support, giveaways, and a point of collaboration. The volunteer teams around the world organize the local SFD events to impact their communities. Free Software is something that is free to use, study, modify, distribute, access, and share. The objective of the day includes celebrating software freedom and the people behind it, to be pragmatic, transparent, and responsible as an organization. Also, it aims at providing equal access to opportunities through participatory technologies. It also promotes constructive dialogue on obligations and rights in the information society.
Other Celebrations on September 16
September 16 is also celebrated as
- National Stepfamily Day
- National Play Doh Day
- International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
- National Collect Rocks Day
- National Guacamole Day
- National Working Parents Day
- International Coastal Cleanup Day
- International Eat an Apple Day
- International Red Panda Day
- Batman Day
- National Gymnastics Day
How to Celebrate the Day
The best way to celebrate the day is to indulge yourself in participating in the events of FOSS. Encourage people to participate and promote awareness about free software among the people. Post and share your free Software Day celebrations on social media using the hashtag #SoftwareFreedomDay.
Thank you for reading the post. You can celebrate every day with Happydays365.org and Happy Software Freedom Day 2023.